Di Modica’s Bull Statue Placed Near Amsterdam’s Exchange

Sculptor Arturo Di Modica and his bronze bull. The sculpture has been placed in Amsterdam and is similar to one by the artist in New York. Photo: Martijn van der Starre, Bloomberg News

July 5 (Bloomberg) -- A bronze statue of a bull by sculptor
Arturo Di Modica, similar to his work near the New York Stock
Exchange, was placed in front of NYSE Euronext’s Amsterdam
bourse overnight as an antidote to Europe’s debt crisis.

“Europe is in an economic crisis. Think positive! Together
we will go up!” read leaflets handed out at the square in front
of the bourse by Jan-Willem Loor, a spokesman for Di Modica.

Di Modica, 71, placed his 3.5 ton ’‘Charging Bull” in New
York City on Broad Street on Dec. 15, 1989, and saw the
sculpture as the perfect response to the Wall Street crash,
according to his website. The work was removed the same day and
is now located at the intersections of Broadway and Morris
Street.

“It would be good for everybody in Europe to have some
kind of kick from the mascot,” Di Modica said in an interview
with Bloomberg News today. “I would prefer it to stay here,
like in New York, near the stock market,” he said.

Di Modica, who made the sculpture in Wyoming, shipped it to
Sicily and then moved it by truck to Amsterdam, said it took 10
minutes to put the 2.5-ton bull in front of the exchange, using
a crane.

The sculpture in Amsterdam was brought to the city with the
support of a Dutch family, said Loor, adding Di Modica wants to
symbolically donate the bronze bull.

The family saw the bull in New York and loved it, Di Modica
said.

Muse highlights include Scott Reyburn on the auction
market, Jorg von Uthmann on Paris art, Warwick Thompson on
London theater and Jason Harper on cars.